Make Your Own Wedding Invitations

One of the first things you'll need to do once you have most of the details of your wedding solidified is to send out wedding invitations. You'll want to send out your invitations as soon as you can (at least six months in advance) so that guests will be prepared for the ceremony, and have enough time to make travel arrangements if their coming out of town.

When you're looking for the right design or templates to use for your wedding invitations, you may not find a wedding invitation design that's different; one that is so unique you won't find it anywhere else. Or, after you've searched for months to find the right invitations, you may see designs that look so standard, you may be able to do them yourself. So, why not try it out? You can make your own invitations in a style that's all your own, and you could save money in the process.

Of course, making your invitations yourself can be easier and a little less stressful if the wedding guest list is relatively small, but if you're experienced in page layout and in making arts and crafts, you can make multiple invitations in no time. You'll need to work out the details of how large you want the invitations to be, the type of font you want, and if you want to include any special design features on your invitations, like lining the outside with lace or using calligraphy. You may also want to include photographs in your wedding invitation, such as pictures of the hands of you and your fiancé with your rings on, family pictures, or photographs of you and your fiancé as children.

Consider things that both you and your fiancé are interested in, or hobbies or activities that help to define you as a couple. For instance, if you're both actors and perform in the theater often, you could fashion your wedding invitation like a playbill. Or if you love the beach or work near the water, a wedding invitation in the shape of a seashell or starfish is ideal.

You can also add extra features to your wedding invitations that may be too expensive if you were to order them. For instance, you could include special thank-you notes to your parents, friends, and other family members, and make them a little longer or more personal. And, you can tell the story of how you and your fiancé met on the back page of the invitation. This will add a nice touch to your invitation, people will be less likely to throw it away, and you won't have to worry about people asking you to tell the story during the reception. You can also include these things in the actual wedding program, so that people can read it while they are waiting for the ceremony to begin.